Question about trade

[Henrik MN]

If I have a city with three trade routes, and then build a caravan and send it to a city and that trade route generates more trade than one of my prevoius routes, does that trade rout replace the older trade route?

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Yes. A city can have many trade routes, but it only receives the trade bonus from the three best ones. The value of the routes are re-evaluated every time there is a delivery, and the three routes that provide the greatest bonuses are selected. This re-evaluation is often used to clear a blocked demand commodity by manipulating the trade of certain cities at the time of a caravan delivery.

 

[Henrik MN]

Hmm, this is strange. I tested this. York built three caravans, and for every caravan the choice of goods lessens, first I can select from for example wine, gold and beads, then wine and gold, and last gold. The three caravans traded with London. Now if I build a caravan in York I can only select Food supply.

Shouldnt I be able to build a wine caravan and find a better trade route on another continent for example?

 

[civiijkw]

Hmm, this is strange. I tested this. York built three caravans, and for every caravan the choice of goods lessens, first I can select from for example wine, gold and beads, then wine and gold, and last gold. The three caravans traded with London. Now if I build a caravan in York I can only select Food supply.

Shouldnt I be able to build a wine caravan and find a better trade route on another continent for example?

If you look at your city you probably see that wine, gold and beads supplies are each in parenthesis. That means that you have temporarily exhausted the available supply of them (you might also see it in the London demands). You will have to wait a bit before the computer checks on refreshing trade routes. After that time you will see additional caravan options. Over the course of a long game a city may be able to send dozens of different goods caravans, but not in a single solid block of turns with one caravan per turn.

The food caravan is still useful for wonder building. For that matter, if you are planning to use a caravan for wonder building it is best to make it a food caravan so that you don't temporarily block a goods supply slot.

 

[Henrik MN]

Ah ok, thank you.